5 ms·

It'll be repaid to whoever paid it in the first place (typically an importer, not you unless you're an importer). So any beef to do with not getting a refund sh

It'll be repaid to whoever paid it in the first place (typically an importer, not you unless you're an importer). So any beef to do with not getting a refund should be directed at the domestic supply chain. I note that Costco has stated they will pass on the refund to their customers.

alephnerd 8mo ago
In Costco's case they sell branded goods as loss leaders because they make up the cost via the membership fees, margins engineering thanks to Kirkland Signature, extremely diligent SKU management, and only targeting the upper 50% of households by income [0][1]. As such, they can eat the cost of a "refund" because the actual cost is hidden in the membership fee anyhow. Costco is a case study in how to run a business - promote operational leadership internally, charge a subscription, segment your ICP based on purchasing ability, and ruthlessly negotiate with vendors (eg. Costco's alcohol purchasing department has LVMH and by extension the government of France over a barrel as they are the single largest purchaser of wine globally, and from personal experience Kirkland's Single Malt Islay - retail of $35 - is a white label of Bunnahabhain's Cruach Mhona - retail of $150-200). The bottom 50% shop at Walmart. The top 50% at Costco. It's an interesting symbiosis. A Costco membership, a mid-end Toyota or Honda, maxing out your Roth 401K, putting the 50-60% that remains into a mixed VOO-VTI-VWO-VXUS strategy, upskilling as cheaply as possible (OMSCS@GT or UT Austin) and a 25 year roof is the path to riches. [0] - https://www.businessinsider.com/how-costco-sams-club-shoppers-differ-income-spending-habits-2025-3 https://www.businessinsider.com/how-costco-sams-club-shopper... [1] - https://minesafetydisclosures.com/blog/2018/6/18/costco https://minesafetydisclosures.com/blog/2018/6/18/costco
- salawat 8mo ago
  You forgot selling your soul and integrity to the business sector, destroying the future of the next generation of engineers, rolling up the ladder behind you, merging and consolidating to avoid competition... I can go on.
  - alephnerd 8mo ago
    You can feel free to exit society and never be employed - every business and employer is part of the system no matter what. The path to becoming a HNWI ($1M) or VHNWI ($5M) is doable for most SWEs over their career.
- jjav 8mo ago
  > The bottom 50% shop at Walmart. The top 50% at Costco. If that is true (not sure), then why does Costco treat all its customers like hardened criminals by demanding to scan receipts at the door? If they are targeting higher income households, you'd think they would show a bit more respect to the customers? This is why I refuse to have anything to do with costco. I'm comfortably in the top few% of income.
  - bdangubic 8mo ago
    top few % steal more shit than the rest % combined
    - jjav 7mo ago
      You are very much correct, but they don't steal from stores, it's a whole different level of corruption for them.

alephnerd 8mo ago

In Costco's case they sell branded goods as loss leaders because they make up the cost via the membership fees, margins engineering thanks to Kirkland Signature, extremely diligent SKU management, and only targeting the upper 50% of households by income [0][1]. As such, they can eat the cost of a "refund" because the actual cost is hidden in the membership fee anyhow. Costco is a case study in how to run a business - promote operational leadership internally, charge a subscription, segment your ICP based on purchasing ability, and ruthlessly negotiate with vendors (eg. Costco's alcohol purchasing department has LVMH and by extension the government of France over a barrel as they are the single largest purchaser of wine globally, and from personal experience Kirkland's Single Malt Islay - retail of $35 - is a white label of Bunnahabhain's Cruach Mhona - retail of $150-200). The bottom 50% shop at Walmart. The top 50% at Costco. It's an interesting symbiosis. A Costco membership, a mid-end Toyota or Honda, maxing out your Roth 401K, putting the 50-60% that remains into a mixed VOO-VTI-VWO-VXUS strategy, upskilling as cheaply as possible (OMSCS@GT or UT Austin) and a 25 year roof is the path to riches. [0] - https://www.businessinsider.com/how-costco-sams-club-shoppers-differ-income-spending-habits-2025-3 https://www.businessinsider.com/how-costco-sams-club-shopper... [1] - https://minesafetydisclosures.com/blog/2018/6/18/costco https://minesafetydisclosures.com/blog/2018/6/18/costco

salawat 8mo ago
You forgot selling your soul and integrity to the business sector, destroying the future of the next generation of engineers, rolling up the ladder behind you, merging and consolidating to avoid competition... I can go on.
- alephnerd 8mo ago
  You can feel free to exit society and never be employed - every business and employer is part of the system no matter what. The path to becoming a HNWI ($1M) or VHNWI ($5M) is doable for most SWEs over their career.
jjav 8mo ago
> The bottom 50% shop at Walmart. The top 50% at Costco. If that is true (not sure), then why does Costco treat all its customers like hardened criminals by demanding to scan receipts at the door? If they are targeting higher income households, you'd think they would show a bit more respect to the customers? This is why I refuse to have anything to do with costco. I'm comfortably in the top few% of income.
- bdangubic 8mo ago
  top few % steal more shit than the rest % combined
  - jjav 7mo ago
    You are very much correct, but they don't steal from stores, it's a whole different level of corruption for them.